During a heated debate about affirmative action, my history teacher - a white, straight man in his mid-fifties and notoriously known to be from an extremely wealthy family - remarked, "Yeah, but Asians haven't suffered nearly as much as African Americans." The matter-of-fact nature of his remark caught me off guard in the moment. I don't wish to challenge him on the validity of his statement. Yes, it's true that Asians weren't oppressed for hundreds of years under the institution of slavery in America or brutally discriminated against decade after decade afterwards. But is this really a fair statement to make?
I bring up this instance because it reminded me of the article, "White Jews: Stop Calling Yourselves 'White-Passing,'" that proceeded our screening of the film Gentleman's Agreement and section discussion today. A particular point author Nylah Burton argues make sense to me: white Jews will always have the benefit of white privilege, regardless of their religious affiliation. But does that not still make them a target of anti-semitism?
Perhaps the point I am trying to get at is that I am frustrated, for a lack of a better word, that the hardships members of a certain group face are invalidated by others. Asians may not have suffered throughout American history as much as African Americans, but is that really reason enough to discredit or ignore the struggles that Asian Americans have faced? White Jews may not have experienced what life is like for a Jew of color, but how does that make their problems any less important? Is it really fair for us to make these comparisons and judgements?
I bring up this instance because it reminded me of the article, "White Jews: Stop Calling Yourselves 'White-Passing,'" that proceeded our screening of the film Gentleman's Agreement and section discussion today. A particular point author Nylah Burton argues make sense to me: white Jews will always have the benefit of white privilege, regardless of their religious affiliation. But does that not still make them a target of anti-semitism?
Perhaps the point I am trying to get at is that I am frustrated, for a lack of a better word, that the hardships members of a certain group face are invalidated by others. Asians may not have suffered throughout American history as much as African Americans, but is that really reason enough to discredit or ignore the struggles that Asian Americans have faced? White Jews may not have experienced what life is like for a Jew of color, but how does that make their problems any less important? Is it really fair for us to make these comparisons and judgements?